ERTICO – ITS Europe welcomes new partner PluService. Giorgio Fanesi describes the company’s activites and its expectations from the ERTICO partnership.
ERTICO – ITS Europe: Can you describe your activities in the field of ITS?
Giorgio Fanessi: PluService has been involved for years in ITS for passenger mobility. The main activities are related to infomobility e-ticketing travel planning and booking. After 20 years experience in developing products for public transport companies we are now focusing on the implementation of a control centre for a sustainable mobility.
ERTICO – ITS Europe: Why have you joined ERTICO?
GF: After having reached a leadership level in the ITS sector applied to passenger transport in Italy we started looking to the international market.
This lead to the building of a network of partners with whom we began a collaboration within the FP7 with some success already achieved (the STADIUM project for example with PluService as WP leader for the pilot in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup).
We want to increase our international network specifically in the field of transport and we would like to share and improve our know-how as well as participate in projects at European level.
ERTICO – ITS Europe: What are your expectations of this partnership?
GF: ERTICO – ITS Europe offers a working environment where we can exchange ideas with high profile partners in the ITS community. We need to widen our boundaries and our expertise.
ERTICO offers the possibility of taking part in international workgroups where our ideas can be shared and compared with those of other partners. From these initiatives we expect new opportunities and ideas as well as the possibility of participating in FP7 projects to develop new products and new ITS solutions.
ERTICO – ITS Europe: Are there any project activities or sector that you are particularly interested in?
GF: For sure projects and activities linked to InfoMobility a field we are focusing a lot on. Also activities for the development of a multi-operator control centre for the management of mobility; from analysis of demand to the monitoring of the services and integration of public and private transport.
Based on our experience we know that the future of passenger transport will need to focus on the integration of services and interoperability and it will be necessary to create a network of control centres and ticketing systems.
We also do a lot of research in the company core sectors such as fleet management ticketing and booking.
Company Profile: PluService
PluService created in Italy in 1988 is a software house occupying an important position in the field of Computerised Management Systems for Private and Public Transport Companies. PluService has over 200 customers throughout Italy and an installed base of over 1000 applications. PluService designs and creates modular computerised integrated management systems (ERP) capable of providing maximum working flexibility reliability and rationalising the various work phases. PluService over the years has acquired direct in-depth knowledge of the information needs and structure of the Private and Public Transport market. The products offered by PluService are based on its own SuperdriverTM platform and are aimed at Public and Private Public Transport Companies – whether urban or rural tour companies or hire companies long-distance operators large or small etc.
Superdriver is a modular integrated management information technology system where each office is organised in a fully independent manner but constantly in contact with all the other units in a network of continuous data exchange. Superdriver’s database is easily accessed by third party applications so that specific information can be accessed by users in a seamless manner. The data however complex can be called up with ease from each unit simply by indicating the selection criteria.
PluService’s approach to solving a customer’s problem is to offer a customised solution based on its platform using System Integration Logic. PluService’s annual investment in R&D is close to 15% of annual turnover enabling PluService to offer its customers some of the most advanced and innovative services and solutions for Public Transport Companies.
Link to original Article
http://www.ertico.com/the-ertico-july-interview/
Original Publication Date: Sat 24 Jul 2010
